Universal joint



July '20', 1937 l.. sAussARD y *2,087,817-

* UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Dec'. 24.. 19:55 4 sheets-sheet 1 July 20, 1937 SAussARD UNIVERSAL JOINT File; Dec. 24, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 42 July. 20 1937 L. sAussARD I 2,087,817

UNIVERSAL JOINT Y Filed Dec. 24, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 5 25D' IH n L 1 f f .n N vl v' l y Z@ of 55xx-@PZ July L. SAUSSARD UNIVERSAL JOINT l Filed Dec. 24, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Figs- Patented July 20, 1237 vPATENT OFFICE UNIVERSAL JOINT Louis Saussard, Paris,France Application December' 24, 1935, Serial No. 56,100

France December 24, 1934 3Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a universal joint or apparatus serving to couple two shafts forming together a more or less important angle. I

This apparatus comprises a block secured or 5 keyed on one of the shafts', an annular body secured or keyed on the other shaft and two intermediate' rings coupled to said block and to said annular body by journals or pivot pins the axes of which are at right angles to those of therespective shafts and arranged as in Cardan joints so as to allow the transmission of the rotation from one of the shafts tothe other shaft, even when these shafts, instead of being in alignment, form any angle.

An object of the invention is to provide a joint of this kind the elements of which bear one on the other through wide surfaces of revolution in order to be subjected only to small unitary pressures and, consequently, to littlewear and to constitute a durable joint and loose upon use.

Another object of the invention is to give to the elements of such a joint a conformation al-- lowing to easily machine "hem and to fit orassemble them without using screws, bolts or other members capable of becoming loose or of producing accidental damages within the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to devise a` joint ofthis kind which is homokinetic whilst which does not work n comprising only members which are simple, few

in number and of rugged construction, these members being assembled in a veryl compact form. The arrangements provided' for obtaining these results will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings illustrating, by

way of example, two forms of `construction of the 4 universal joint according to the invention.

Fig.` 1 is a longitudinal section of the first form of construction, which comprises two inter- 40 mediate rings.

Fig. 2 is a cross section made according to line VIII-VIII of Fig. t1. Y

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofthe same apparatus, the shafts forming an angle a and having rotated to the extent of 90` about their respective axes.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionof the second form of construction, also comprising two intermediate rings, the shafts bengin alignment.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same form of construction, the shafts forming an angle a.

In Figs. 1 to 3, the shafts to be coupled are designated by reference numbers I and 2; the shaft I carries a small wheel 3 providedwith two journals 3a, and about which is arranged a first ring 4 the cavities 4a of which fit over the journais or pivot pins 3a; on this ring are moreover provided journals or pivot pins 4c on which t the cavities IIa. of a second ring II; the latter is provided in its turn with journals or pivot pins IIc fitted into cavities 5c of an outer annular body 5 which is secured in a drum Bcarried by shaft 2. 'I'he axes of the journals or pivot pins 3a and IIc are at right angles to the shafts I andl 2, respectively; they are moreover at right angles to the axis of the pivot pins or journals 4c and all these axes converge towards one and the same point ,0.

Thi small wheel 3, rings 4 and II, and body 5 are fitted with slight friction one in the other according to cylindrical and conical surfaces of revolution concentric with the respective pivot pins, so that the whole constitutes a compact unit of extremely rugged construction. Infact, if the cross section of the joint (Fig. 2) is considered, it will be seen that the forces of rotation or torques can be transmitted from "block 3 to ring.

4, from this ring 4 to the ring II, and from this ring II to the body 5, by the entire meridian periphery of said blocks and rings, even by the plane ends of their journals, since their meridian profiles do not present portions concentric with the center 0.

The rings 4, Il and body 5 are each divided into two parts in order to facilitate'the manufacture and assemblage.

The whole is sheltered from dust and water by a cover made in two parts 1 and 8, secured on drum 6 and on shaft I, respectively, and rubblng on each other through spherical'surfaces with a fluid-tight packing I0.

A joint thus constructed vallows shafts I and 2 to rotate at a uniform speed whatever may be the vangle formed by these ',shafts, because the axis passing through the journals or'pivot pins 4c can always constantly remain inthe bisecting plane of said angle. However, if the joint only comprised the merli-- bers above mentioned, the action of the driving and resistant torques on shafts I and 2, would have for effect, at certain moments, to cause rings 4 and II to rock, by compelling the axis of the journals or pivot pins 4c -to incline relatively to the bisecting plane of the angle above mentioned, so that the speed of rotation of shaft 2 wouldno longer be constantly equal to that of shaft I, but sometimes delayed, and sometimes accelerated during each revolution.

This rocking movement can Aparticularly take place about the axis of the journals or pivot pins 3a and I Ic, when the latter are directed at right angles to the plane of the non-aligned shafts. In fact let us consider the apparatus at rest at a moment 'when the shafts I, 2 form a horizontal angle a and when axes of the journals or pivot pins 3a and IIc are on the vertical passing through the center of the joint; the rings 4 and I I are then both vertical and the common plane of the journals or pivot pins 3a, IIc, 4e can be indifferently set about said vertical. Let us assume that this plane forms` an acute angle with the driving shaft I, that shaft 2 is stationary, and. that shaft I is subjected to a driving torque. This torque produces on the journals or pivot pins 3a horizontal thrusts orthogonal to shaft I and tending to cause the entire set of rings 4 and II to pivot about this shaft; but the resistant torque prevents the rotation of the rings 4, II in their own plane, whilst nothing prevents their rotation about the vertical axis 3a., IIc; it results therefrom that these rings suddenly pivot about said vertical axis in the direction of the reduction of the angle until they are stopped by abutting against shaft I. At this moment, they have transmitted to the journals IIc and, consequently, to shaft 2, only a very small angular displacement.

From this moment, the entire set of rings is rigidly driven and transmits the rotation of shaft I to shaft 2, but in unsatisfactory conditions since the journals 4c are not situated in the bisectingplane of shafts I, 2. These'unsatisfactory conditions subsequently persist because the force of. inertia to rotation alone tends to move the rings towards this bisecting plane, and that in the case of a motor vehicle wheel the speed of rotation is practically insufficient' for producing this righting effect in opposition to the thrust which presses the rings against the driving shaft I.

According to the present invention, the axis of pivot pins 4c is prevented from being completely free to thus incline, for instance by causing two springs I2 and I3 tolact on ring II, as illustrated in Fig. 1, these springs I2 and I3 bearing, on `the one hand, on shaft 2, in cavities 2a of the .lat-

ter, and, on the other hand, on ring II, through the medium of rods I4, I5 provided with a spherical member and tted into cavities of this ring in the vicinity of pivot pins 4c.

These two springs, of equal strength, always urge ring II to remain at right angles to the plane of shaft 2; but, when shafts I, 2 form an angle a (Fig. 3) and rotate, the springs I2 and i3 resiliently yield and allow the axis of pivot pins 4c to, oscillate about the pivot pins IIc, so

that these pivot pins 4c-can remain in the bisecting -planes of the shafts as they are urged to do so by their connections with both shafts as long as the latter rotate at -one and the same speed. This equality of speed usually tends to be maintained during a complete revolution,

owing to the inertia of the movableA bodies or masses connected to the driving and driven shafts. The joint then operates as a. homokinetic joint without the rings 4 and II being capable of loosely rockingv in any of their positions.

a point of ring 4 symmetricall to the bearing point of sprin'g I2.l In these conditions, the axis of pivot pins 4c will constantly be urged by these springs, as well as by the inuence of the inertia of the uniformly moving masses or bodies connected to the shafts, to continuously remain in said bisecting plane.

Finally, Figs. 4 and 5 show a solution in which the blocks 3, rings 4, II and bodies 5, 6 are substantially similar to those of the first form 'of construction, and the journals or pivot ypins 4c are guidedby rigid members: the latter consist, on the one hand, in a rod Ii, the ends of which, in the form of spherical members I1 and I3, are fitted with slight friction into cylindrical cavities I9 and 20 provided in the ends of shafts I and 2 and, on the other hand, in a cross bar 2|,

of vV-shape, the ends of which, in the form of spherical members 22, rest in cavities provided in ring II opposite the pins 4c, whilst the middle portion of this cross bar, perforated and recessedv so as toconstitute a spherical seat, bears on a spherical member 23 located at a suitably chosen point of rod I6.

A spring'24, arranged in the bottom of cavity l 20, constantly pushes the rod I6, so as to ensure the contact of the spherical member 23 on the cross bar 2I.

It will be seen that, when shafts I and 2 form a variable angle a, the middle portion of the cross l bar 2 I, therefore the center of the spherical member, described an arc of circle concentric with point II where converge the axes of both shafts and of the three pars'of journals or pivot pins 3a, 4c, I Ic, whilst the center of the spherical member I1 slides according to the axis of shaft I and the center of the spherical member I8 slides according to the axis of shaft 2.

The spherical member 23is placed, relatively to spherical members I1 and I8, in such a manner that for a definite angle a, for instance 30, the center of this spherical member 23 is located on the outer bisecting line of said angle.

In this position, the cross bar 2I therefore holds pins 4c symmetrically. relatively to this bisecting line, so that, during the rotation of shafts I and 2, these pivot pins 4c cannot move away from the bisecting plane Z Z; the homokinetic transmission is thuszrigidly obtained.

It is easy to verify that for all the angles a' comprised between the above mentioned value and the angle zero (shafts in alignment) the center of the spherical member 23 practically remains on the bisecting line of the angle formed by the axes of the shafts, so that the axes of pins 4c are still held in the required bisecting plane by given by way of example only, and the invention includes the use of any other rigid or resilient guide means allowing to hold the journals or pivot pins 4c. It also includes the application of the guide means above described to all kinds of joints having three converging pivot pins whatever may be the particular shapes and arrangements of the members pivoted on these pivot pins and on the shafts to be coupled. The springs I2, I3, I3', l o

mentioned above can be'V replaced by resilient members ofany shape and made of any material, for instance oi' rubber.

I claim: 1. A universal joint 'comprising the Acom tion of a block adapted to besecured on one of the shafts to be coupled and having two opposed pivot pins and surfaces of revolution about the axis of these pivot pins, an intermediate ring the inner wall of which is tted with slight friction on the pivot pins and surfaces of revolution of said block and the periphery of which also presents two opposed pivot pins and surfaces of revolution about the axis of these latter pivot pins, which axis is at right angles to that of the journals of Said block, a. second intermediate ring surroundrevolution about 'the axis of these pivotlinawhich axisis atright anglesto theaxisofthepivotpins of the iirst intermediate ring, an outer ring the inner wall of which is fitted with slight friction on said' second intermediate ring. and means for securing the said outer ring on the second one of ythe shafts to be coupled, said surfaces of revolution of said block and of said rings beim sol shaped asto'be capableof transmitting the forces oi' rotation by their entire meridian periphery.

zAuniversaliointasclaimedinclaimlin combination with means for holding the axis of the pivot pins connecting the two intermediatel rings one to theV other according to the bisecting plane of the angle of thetwo shafts to be coupled, these means comprising a rigid rod, means for guiding the ends of this rod respectively accordingtotheaxesoftheshafts tobecoup1ed,and a transverse rigidelement the middle portion of which is pivoted, through a spherical member. on

an intermediate point of said rod.` and the ends of which are pivoted, through spherical members,

on one of said intermediate rings at points adjacentto the said axjs of the pivotpins. 3. A univeisal joint as claimed in' claim 1 in combination with means for holding the axis of connected, at one of its ends, to one Aof said intermediate rings at a point adjacent to the axis of the pivot pins connecting this ring to the other intermediate ring. and is connected, at its oppo- ,siteend,toapointintesralwith oneof the shafts tobeeoupled. 

